The relation between ramus notch depth and some of the craniofacial measurements in different skeletal patterns

Abstract EN

Background: This study was designed to investigate the relationship between the ramus notch depth and some of the craniofacial measurements in Iraqi adults with skeletal Cl I, Cl II and Cl III; and to find out if there were any differences in the ramus notch between the skeletal classes.

Materials and method : the sample consisted of 174 pretreatment digital lateral cephalometric radiographs of Iraqis aged between 18-25 years old (85 females and 89 males).

Seven linear and six angular measurements was analyzed using Auto CAD (2007) software computer program.

Descriptive statistics and gender differences were done for the measurements.

ANOVA test compared the ramus notch depth between the skeletal classes, while Pearson correlation coefficient test was used to identify the correlations between ramus notch depth and other measurements.

Results : from linear measurements only the ramus notch depth was not significantly different between genders.

No significant differences of the ramus notch depth between the skeletal classes were revealed by ANOVA test.

Significant positive correlations of the ramus notch depth were found with the ramus length, total anterior facial height, lower anterior facial height, posterior facial height and the saddle angle for the total sample.

Conclusions : the ramus notch depth is not affected by gender or sagittal jaws relationship.

The increased ramus notch depth may be one of the signs of the long face syndrome without open bite.

Deep ramus notch is associated with the mandibular retrusion or backward position of the ramus.